The Utah Jazz have plenty to sort out, and the biggest issues are showing up on both ends. The offense has struggled badly because the shots aren’t falling, leaving Utah 29th in offensive rating. The defense has been a little better, but only in the sense that 24th in defensive rating still isn’t enough to feel good about.
Jaren Jackson Jr.’s return should help whenever that comes, but one player alone isn’t enough to build a defense that can be trusted. If the Jazz get a chance to bring back Kris Dunn, they should take it.
Dunn’s first run in Utah did more than just give the team a useful guard. It helped revive his career and eventually led to the biggest NBA contract he has signed.
He’s not much of a scoring threat, and that limitation matters, but his pressure at the point of attack has remained a real weapon. That part of his game still holds up.
This season, Dunn has piled up the second-most deflections in the league with 43, according to Stat Defender, trailing only Dyson Daniels. He has a way of wrecking offensive possessions on his own, and that kind of disruptive presence is exactly what Utah could use.
There aren’t any reports saying the Los Angeles Clippers are shopping him, but their rough start and lack of options could change that. Dunn may not be off limits for long if the Clippers decide they need to make a move.
From a trade standpoint, he would not be hard for Utah to chase. Dunn is in the final year of a team-friendly contract and is set to make $5.7 million this season. It would not take much to get him if Los Angeles is willing to listen.
The Jazz might also have something the Clippers would consider. Utah recently chose not to exercise the final year of Isaiah Collier’s rookie deal. That does not close the door on his future with the Jazz, but it does make him a possible flyer for a team that wants a fresh start, especially one in the Clippers’ position after the fallout from the Kawhi Leonard drama.
That could make a Dunn-for-Collier type of deal appealing for Los Angeles. The Clippers are already in a tough spot, and if they’re looking for a reset, moving Dunn for a younger player with room to grow could make sense. It would be better than losing Dunn for nothing.
For Utah, the fit is obvious. Dunn already knows Will Hardy’s system and has shown he can thrive in it. He wouldn’t fix everything on his own, but he would give the Jazz a familiar defender who makes life harder for opposing guards and helps shore up a team that badly needs it.
In Other News...
Svi Mykhailiuks Rough Start Is Creating A Jazz Rotation Problem
The early-season grind has already forced Will Hardy to keep tinkering with his rotation, and the Jazz have not had much margin for error while playing through injuries to key frontcourt pieces Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic. In that kind of environment, every bench spot matters a little more, and Svi Mykhailiuks uneven start has become one of the more awkward issues on a team that is already trying to find traction after opening 1-8.
Mykhailiuk was brought in to help stabilize the perimeter, but the offense has not come around and the defensive fit has been just as shaky. Utah is weighing whether to trim his minutes and lean on other options for now, a reminder that on a roster searching for answers, even one cold stretch can ripple through the rest of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Loss To Dallas Exposed A Problem That Keeps Dragging Them Down
The Jazzs NBA Cup loss to Dallas was another reminder that the margins are still working against them. In a 112-100 defeat, Utah let the game slip in the possession battle, with turnovers piling up and second-chance opportunities going the other way, the kind of issues that can quickly erase any offensive rhythm.
Will Hardy pointed to those same problem areas afterward, and it is not hard to see why. Utah did not generate enough extra chances, and the ball security issues kept putting the defense back under pressure, leaving the Jazz with another frustrating example of how physicality and discipline can decide a game long before the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Lauri Markkanen Clouds Jazz Hopes To Snap This Brutal Skid
The Jazz head into their matchup with the Timberwolves still searching for a way out of a seven-game losing streak, and the timing is not ideal with Lauri Markkanen on the injury report. Utah has leaned on him early this season, with the forward appearing in eight of nine games and providing steady scoring and rebounding production, but his availability now hangs in the balance as the team tries to steady itself.
Markkanen is listed as questionable because of a right wrist sprain, the same issue that has already interrupted his season. For a Jazz team trying to stop the slide and get back on track, his status looms large because so much of the offense flows through him when he is on the floor, and Utah will be watching closely before tipoff to see whether it can count on one of its most important pieces. [Read more 🡒]